1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shelving in general, and more particularly to merchandise display shelving, also called gondola shelving.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Gondola display shelving is widely used in marketing to display goods or items for sale in a manner appealing to the average consumer. Typically, a gondola display rack includes a floor contacting base, a pair of upright members extending vertically from the rear of the base, and shelves connected to the uprights cantilevered over the base. The shelves may be oriented substantially horizontally or may be tilted slightly, downwardly and forwardly, to produce a gravity type feed of product thereon. These types of display racks are commonly employed to display, for sale, packaged items such as pantyhose and the like. A display utilized in this manner is commonly referred to in the industry as a "point of purchase" display.
A common problem associated with conventional gondola displays is that they do not address the need to accommodate products of varying dimensions on a single shelf. That is, the shelves of such displays generally include a number of fixed dividers which are uniformly spaced relative to one another to define a plurality of columns of the same width. Although items which are significantly narrower than such columns may be positioned between the dividers, such items tend to move out of position within the column. The resulting lack of uniformity of items within the column detracts from the overall appearance of the display. Conversely, where the column is too narrow to accommodate a particular item, the shelf must be replaced with a shelf having the required divider spacing or with one having no dividers at all. Even where use of the shelf is limited to situations in which all of the items thereon are of the same width, the presence of fixed dividers can preclude re-use of the shelf, i.e. the shelf can not accommodate items having a width different than that of the items previously stored thereon.
Another common problem which typical gondola displays share is that the use of downwardly and forwardly tilted shelves makes it difficult to count the product within each column as is necessary when store personnel are taking inventory or deciding whether to reorder merchandise.
Yet another problem associated with these types of gondola displays is the fact that where the shelves permit adjustments in angular orientation, there is no adequate mechanism to compensate for the resulting change in the positions of the shelves relative to one another. Specifically, gondola display shelves of the prior art do not permit the spacing between the shelf and the gondola upright to be adjusted in response to modifications in the angular orientation of the shelf. Such adjustment is desirable to prevent one shelf from excessively obscuring the consumer's view of the contents of the shelf below it. Instead, in order to provide the desired spacing between the shelves of the prior art and thereby optimize the appearance of the merchandise to the consumer, it is necessary to move the shelves closer or farther apart by adjusting the vertical spacing therebetween. That is, the shelf must be physically removed and its brackets repositioned within another set of upright slots.
Still another disadvantage of most prior art gondola shelves is that they employ supporting brackets made integral thereto, such as by welding. Such construction presents a geometry which is inefficient for packing and shipping purposes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gondola display shelf which is capable of accommodating products of varying dimensions at the same time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shelf which is movable relative to the gondola uprights to allow store personnel to quickly ascertain the number of items within each column of the display and which facilitates rapid restocking.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shelf which is economical to manufacture and which presents a geometry which is efficient for packing and shipping purposes.